Rapid evaporative-ionization mass spectrometry (REIMS) coupled with an electroknife as a sampling device was recently employed in many application fields to obtain a rapid characterization of different samples without any need for extraction or cleanup procedures. In the present research, REIMS was used to obtain a metabolic profiling of the Kigelia africana fruit, thus extending the applicability of such a technique to the investigation of phytochemical constituents. In particular, the advantages of REIMS linked to a typical electrosurgical handpiece were applied for a comprehensive screening of this botanical species, by exploiting the mass accuracy and tandem MS capabilities of a quadrupole-time of flight analyzer. Then, 78 biomolecules were positively identified, including phenols, fatty acids and phospholipids. In the last decade, Kigelia africana (Lam.) Benth. fruit has attracted special interest for its drug-like properties, e.g., its use for infertility treatments and as anti-tumor agent, as well as against fungal and bacterial infections, diabetes, and inflammatory processes. Many of these properties are currently correlated to the presence of phenolic compounds, also detected in the present study, while the native lipid composition is here reported for the first time and could open new directions in the evaluation of therapeutic activity.

In the present study, we investigated the effects of Kigelia africana (Lam.) Benth. fruits ethanolic extract in prepubertal male rats, to evaluate the influence of the extract on the reproductive system and on pubertal development. Experiments were conducted using the rodent pubertal male assay. The plant extract, analyzed by TLC, HPLC-PDA and HPLC-ESI-MS, was administered orally at doses of 200, 400 and 800 mg/kg b.w. from post-natal date 21 to post-natal day 53. Age at puberty onset, body growth, development of sexual organs exposure to plant extract or positive control were examined. Results obtained indicate that Kigelia extract, at all doses tested, significantly anticipates puberty and increases body growth and sexual organs development. These effects appears to be due to stimulation of the secretion of androgenic hormones by the compounds found in its extract and scientifically support some of its traditional uses in disorders of the male reproductive system.

Background: The use of phytotherapics is very frequent in men with prostatic diseases, sexual disorders and infertility, and many associations are commercially available. Various vegetable products used as drugs or nutraceuticals are attributed to possess the capacity to exert benefic effects on the reproductive system, and most of these drugs have a rich and varied lipidosterolic fraction, primarily responsible for the effects related to the male genital sphere. Kigelia africana (Lam.) Benth. (Bignoniaceae) is a plant used in African folk medicine as a vegetal remedy for various diseases, including some disorders of the male reproductive system; however, its potential activities have not yet been fully explored. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the lipidosterolic hexane extract (LHE) from K. africana fruits, analyzed by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography-mass spectrometry/flame ionization detection (GC×GC-MS/FID), can prevent or reverse benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in rats. Methods: BPH was induced in experimental groups by daily subcutaneous injections of testosterone propionate (TP) for four weeks. β-sitosterol (β-s) was used as positive control. On day 28, the animals were sacrificed by cervical dislocation after anesthesia. Prostates were excised, weighed, and used for macroscopic and histological studies. Testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) levels in prostate were measured. Results: The results showed that LHE significantly reduced the prostatic weight, prostatic index, prostatic levels of testosterone and DHT, and the histopathological alterations (including the epithelial thickness, stromal proliferation, and lumen area) induced by testosterone. These effects were superior to those demonstrated by β-s and appear to be due to a partial antiandrogenic activity of LHE. Conclusion: The results obtained showed that the LHE can prevent, and reverse testosterone induced prostatic hyperplasia, and support the traditional use of Kigelia africana in some disorders of the reproductive system. Graphical Abstract:

Background: Beta-sitosterol (β-sitosterol) is one of the several phytosterols widely studied for its potential to reduce benign prostatic hyperplasia and blood cholesterol levels. Objective: In the present study, the effects of β-sitosterol on spontaneous and agonist-induced contractions in in vitro nonpregnant human uterus with respect to prostaglandin E₂(PGE₂) were investigated. Materials and Methods: Myometrial strips, measuring approximately 15 mm × 4 mm × 2 mm, were attained from hysterectomy samples of premenopausal women. Longitudinal muscle strips were mounted on tissue baths, under physiological conditions, to measure their isometric contraction. The effects of cumulative amounts of β-sitosterol on spontaneous motility in the absence and presence of prazosin, atropine, fulvestran, indomethacin, or ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), and on agonist-induced motor activity, were examined. Results: On strips in the follicular phase, both β-sitosterol (1–100 μg/ml) and PGE₂(0.1–10 μg/ml) increase, in a concentration-dependent manner, muscular basic tonus and amplitude and frequency of spontaneous uterine contractions; whereas on strips obtained during periovulatory phase, β-sitosterol and PGE₂cause inhibition of uterine motility. For contractile response, the effective concentrations (EC₅₀) were 47.8 μg/ml and 5.19 μg/ml, respectively. Unlike indomethacin, the tissue pretreatment with prazosin, fulvestran, atropine, or ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid did not affect the contractile uterine responses to β-sitosterol. Furthermore, the β-sitosterol was able to potentiate the contractile response induced by acetylcholine and vasopressin. Conclusions: These observations suggest that β-sitosterol may be a useful modulator of the uterine motility during menstrual cycle, facilitating female fertility.